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FALSE POLICE ALARM POLICY STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE 1. The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure is to encourage a reduction in the frequency of false alarms, and to establish a service fee for the inappropriate use of municipal resources in response to false alarms. 2. For the purposes of this directive, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings: Alarm System: A system, including any mechanism, equipment or device designed to automatically transmit a signal, message or warning from private or public premises, including telephonic alarm systems designed to operate automatically through the use of public telephone facilities to the Lewiston-Auburn 911 Communications Center, or monitored by other private or public entities which in turn contacts the Lewiston Police Department. False Alarm: A false alarm shall be deemed to be an alarm caused by malfunctioning of the alarm system, owner, employee or resident error, inappropriate alarm equipment installation, improperly monitored equipment or inappropriate use of alarm including, but not limited to, use of robbery alarm for shoplifting or other lesser offenses. 3. For the first thirty (30) days following installation, no charge will be made to the owner for false alarms. 4. Any owner of an alarm system whose system causes the transmittal of a false alarm in any calendar year shall pay the following fees: (Effective: July 1, 2014). First No Charge Second $55.00 Third $ 90.00 Fourth & Thereafter $ 115.00 Alarms generated as a result of circumstances beyond the alarm owner's control (e.g. power outage, weather conditions, motor vehicle accidents, telephone transmission problems, etc.) shall not result in a service fee nor shall they be counted in the one response allowed per calendar year. 5. The responding police unit shall make a determination of the cause of the alarm as to whether it shall be considered a chargeable false alarm. The officer will advise the dispatcher of the status of the alarm who will in turn make the proper entry on the incident report and the daily log sheet (CHA for chargeable, NCH for non-chargeable). 6. On a basis the Records Division will provide the Administration with a list of all alarms responded to the previous month. Updated 2/25/2014 1 Effective: 7/01/2014 ---PAGE BREAK--- FALSE POLICE ALARM POLICY 7. All charges will be billed on a quarterly basis, and if not paid, appropriate action will be taken. 8. Apartment Building and Punch Pass Program Related False Alarm Fees: Three false police alarm calls for free in a one year period (January 1-December 31). Section 4 of this Policy shall apply after the initial three false alarms have occurred beginning with the fourth false police alarm fee. In addition, property owners will be allowed up to ten (10) requests for free police incident reports, per year, each request will be limited to two incident reports. Updated 2/25/2014 2 Effective: 7/01/2014